Ma`rifat

This article examines the phenomenon of 'alam-keshi in the mourning processions of Afghan migrants residing in Iran from a cultural anthropological perspective. This ceremony, which is in fact a form of mourning, is performed as a traditional religious ritual in various migrant communities. We have employed participant observation and interview techniques to describe it. This research indicates that although this ritual is less prominent in some Shi'a-populated areas of Afghanistan or is performed with slight variations in others, the people of Shi'a-populated areas in Afghanistan predominantly observe the mourning ceremony for Hazrat Abul-Fazl al-'Abbas (peace be upon him) alongside this ritual. However, what is observed today in the migrant processions (particularly in the central migrant processions) is that in large migrant-receiving cities, this religious ritual is performed with increasing fervor each year on the seventh night of Muharram. In this research, we aim to understand the historical, cultural, and value-based underpinnings of the phenomenon of 'alam-keshi, the symbols used in this ritual, and the quality of its performance in various regions. At the conclusion of this paper, it will be clarified what cultural consequences this religious phenomenon has had on the migrant community.